Folding bed



(No Model.)

D. J. POWERS.

' FOLDING BED.

No. 439,683. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. POWERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BE'D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,683, dated November 4, 1890. Application filed January 24, 1889. Serial No. 297,369. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in a folding bed, in which the movable member folds endwise into a stationary case, said movable member being composed of two sections hinged together so that one may be folded upon the other before being turned 'into the case; and my improvements consist,

first, of a pivoted foot-rail to which the wovenwire bed-bottom is connected, so adapted as to give additional room for the bedding; sec- 0nd, in the means for locking the unfolding leg between the side rails of the bed; third, the automatic cord-connection that operates the legs when the bed is unfolded, and, fourth, the automatic catch device that locks the folded side rails together, all of which is fully described hereinafter, and summed up in the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view showing the bed unfolded, and also in dotted lines folded. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken just inside the foot-rail of the bed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing portions of a locking device; Fig. 4, one of the swinging arms which is employed to sup port the foot-rail; Fig. 5, an arm which carries the swinging foot-board, and Fig. 6 a stop for the swinging arm. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of one of the rails of the inner section and one of the rails of the outer section folded thereon and showing the hinged supportingleg extended with its upper end resting in a notch of the inner rail.

This bed is what is known as a low bed of the chiffonier type, and comprises a stationary case A and an unfolding or movable member. The latter is composed of two sec tions B B, which are hinged together at I).

G is a head-board which is hinged to the section B and which slides in ways in the case A in the usual way.

D D are cross-rails located at the respective ends of the unfolding member and to which the fabric E is secured. In order to provide additional space for the bedding when the sections B B are folded, I secured the footrail D on the swinging links F, whose lower ends are pivoted inside the said rails of the section B and whose upper ends are adapted to engage fixed stops G, Fig. 6. These stops G, as shown, are in the form of segmental plates, which are secured on the side rails near their outer ends, and they have flanges 9 extended at right angles from their faces, which form engaging shoulders, against which the upper end of links F abut when the bed is unfolded. When the section B is extended, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the links F will rest against the stop and the fabric will be tightly stretched. When said section is folded over onto its fellow, the links F will drop down, carrying the foot-rail Dand the outer end of the fabric with them, whereby additional space for the beddingis provided, as is clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This construction enables me to use a shallower case to receive the unfolding section than would otherwise be necessary, and it also gives the completed bed a neater appearance.

H is a foot-board which is carried by the curved arms h, which are pivotally connected to the links F, so that when the bed is folded said foot-board may swing inwardly and occupy when the bed is folded the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l.

Legs I are pivoted at 'i to the side rails of the section B, which are adapted to be folded up as said section is folded, and to be unfolded when the latter is extended. These legs project above their pivotal connection to the section B, said section being notched, as shown at 2' Fig. '7, and the section B being adapted to impinge upon the outer surface of the legs,

thus firmly locking them in their extended position, and without the use of braces or other like devices. The cord J is attached to the upper end of the leg I, and is carried thence around a sheave j, at the forward end of the inner section, and its otherend secured to the case, preferably at its lower front corner, whereby when the bed is unfolded the cord is tlghtened and pulls the legs into their working position ready to be locked by the unfolding of the section B.

To look the section B to section B when folded on top of the latter, I provide catches K K, which are pivotally secured to the end rail of the bed at 75*. k, which are preferably extended through elongated apertures 76" in said end rail, where they are connected by means of a wire K. The apertures through which these studs pass are slightly elongated to permit of a limited oscillation of the catches K 011 their pivots. The catches K are pressed outward normally by coiled springs 70*, placed in the elongated apertures, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the catches are forced into engagement with locking-bolts L, secured on the inner side of the section B, and thus secure the sections together. To disengage them, a wire loop 7c is secured centrally to the connecting-wire K, so that a pull upon the loop deflects the wire, withdrawing the catches from engagement with the bolts of the section B.

It is obvious that modifications may be made of the structural features above particularly described, within wide limits, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore propose to limit myself to the precise mechanical construction.

1. In a folding bed havingits folding member composed of two sections hinged together, the combination, with the folding member, of foot and head rails to which a flexible bed- Oatches K have studs bottom is connected, said foot-rail being pivotallyconneeted to the outer section by swinging links, and a foot-board pivotally connected to the foot-rail, substantially as described.

2. In a folding, bed having its folding member composed of two sections hinged together, the outer of said sections adapted to be folded upon the inner, supporting-legs for the folding member, hinged to the rails of the inner section and adapted to be engaged by the rails of the outer section, whereby it is locked in its extended position by the unfolding of said sections, substantially as described.

3. In a folding bed having its folding member composed of two.sections hinged together, the outer of said sections adapted to be folded upon the inner, supporting-legs hinged to the inner section and having extensions projecting above their hinged connections to adapt them to be engaged and locked in their extended position by the rails of the outer section when the latter is unfolded, and a flexible connecting medium between the upper end of the legs and a fixed part of the bed, substantially as described.

DAVID J. POWERS.

Witnesses:

O. C. LINTHICUM, T. D. BUTLER. 

